The Patriots have had a very productive season so far, and once again, they’ve shown how their play on the hardwood has paid off. The Patriots defeated the Naaman Forest Rangers 51 to 28 in a crucial district game. Lakeview has a 23-4 record against Naaman Forest and has beaten them in their last 12 matchups. With now an undefeated record of 5-0 in district games, the Patriots have been playing with a type of confidence that has affected their team in more ways than one.

“Our confidence in every game this season has been the reason why we’ve won so many games so far,” senior Ariyon Williams said. “If we keep playing smart with confidence, we will definitely go far after the regular season.”

The Patriots were off to a slow start in the first half, scoring only 21 points, but eventually picked up the pace in the second half. From the three-point line, they shot 45% from behind the arc. They also dominated defensively; they stole the ball 17 times and got five blocks.

“We might’ve had a slow offensive game, but we were great defensively,” junior Donte Houston said. “As long as our team dominates on one side of the ball, we will be successful. Our defensive play showed who was the better team.”

Lakeview has two significant games coming as they face South Garland High School and Wylie High School. South Garland, who is also undefeated in district games, has put themselves – along with Lakeview – as one the best teams in GISD. The Colonels are led by the top ranked player in Texas: Tyrese Maxey. Wylie, who is ranked 12th in the state of Texas, has a record of 18-3, and they will be a true fight for the Patriots.

“Those games will be the most important games of my life,” senior John Silvero said. “Those games will show how tough we are as a team. Both of those school are well known in Texas, and we if just play our game, we will be victorious.”

The Patriots are currently 13-7, and they have been on a six-game winning streak. They only have eight games left in the season. If they keep playing at this rate, securing a spot in the playoffs won’t be difficult to accomplish.

“Making the playoffs would be definitely be one step closer to winning the championship,” Williams said. “Right now, we just need to finish the season strong and continue to play our hearts out. I believe we can truly do damage to teams. We just have to do our part.”